Arrival Time in Port: 8a
Departure Time from Port: 1159p
After looking at the Day 2 Daily Planner my friend and I decided to take things slow, after all one of the reasons for going on this vacation was to get some relaxation time in. So we did not set the alarm on our phone or get a wake up call. I turned out that the Captain did that for us in a round about way. Every time the ship docked either the Cruise Director or the Captain come on the overhead speakers and announced our arrival. The announcements were not very loud in the cabin, but could be heard somewhat muffled without the door open. If you are a heavy sleeper you wouldn't hear a thing, but unfortunately neither of us were that heavy of sleepers.
We did decide to get up and get ready for breakfast which we had in the Windjammer Marketplace ( open 6a to 7a for Early Bird Coffee and 7a to 1030a for breakfast ). Windjammer houses the buffet onboard. This mornings selections were old fashioned scrambled eggs, scrambled eggs with shrimp and red and green peppers, sausage, bacon, rolls and toast, made to order omelets, french toast, pancakes, coffee cakes, cereal, yogurt and fresh fruit. Ice tea, coffee, apple juice, orange juice and grapefruit juice are free. Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice is also available at a price as well as sodas. I drink a lot of soda so I purchased the Unlimited Soda Package prior to arrival. ( This can also be purchased at any time onboard the ship. ) When I arrived in the room last night the mug for the Unlimited Soda Package was in the room. If you forget your mug, don't worry, no need to run back to the room since your Seapass also hold the Coca Cola emblem on it. If you show your Seapass card to your waiter or bartender at any point on the cruise they will bring you your choice of soda at no charge.
After breakfast we were both ready to head into Nassau. We had discussed what we wanted to do in each of the ports before we left home. We decided that we were going to wing it in Nassau and just see some of the sites. We knew we wanted to go over to the Atlantis, but really only to see it - not swim in the pools.
You disembark from Deck 1 on the Majesty of the Seas so we made our way down to the 1st floor. As you disembark you will be asked to scan your Seapass card. Once that is done you are on your way!
Your 1st photo op will be at the end of the pier at the Welcome to the Bahamas sign. Yes, we did the touristy thing and got our pictures taken here.
I read online that jeans and gym shoes were discouraged at the Atlantis so we dressed more in resort casual attire. I was glad we did, we did see a few people in jeans but not many and no one in jean shorts.
As we walked along the pier we saw several groups from our ship as well as the Carnival Sensation who was also in port at the same time lining up for their excursions. There is also an electronic booth were you can also purchase excursions to the Atlantis. We decided not to go with a group as we wanted the freedom to walk around and explore on our own. We continued on through a small shopping area, which reminded me of a small warehouse. It was made up of about a dozen booths that sold various wares. The thing I found most interesting in this area was the elaborate costumes and signs like the one below:
As soon as we exited this area we were bombarded by people asking us if we needed a taxi. We did have a driver announcing that he was going to the Atlantis. We stopped and talked to him and saw he also had two other passengers who he was going to be taking over to Paradise Island. The fee was 4.00 per person. We found that reasonable and joined the group. The drive from the port to Paradise Island is about 5 minutes. On the way we learned that if you want to go to the beach that is in front of the Atlantis that you have to pay the Atlantis for the privileges. There is a public beach that is free which is next door.
We walked into the Atlantis at the lobby area. Because of the size and make up of the Atlantis there are a few lobbies so if you are staying here make sure you tell your transportation person what tower you are in. The lobby here is simple but beautiful!
Off the lobby is a small sitting area which quite a bit of simple art, like this:
Or like this:
Or even this:
After walking this area we went to the Marina and discovered more upscale shops. There is one dining option in this area called Bimini Road. We stopped for some cocktails and to people watch for a bit. The food smelled delicious and the service was very good. We saw quite a few people from our ship here enjoying lunch.
We decided to take a taxi back to the Straw Market. The Straw Market is within walking distance to the pier so we thought it would be nice to shop for a bit before heading back to the Majesty of the Seas for lunch. Rows and rows of much of the same merchandise makes up the Straw Market. I recommend picking a row and do a lot of looking before purchasing. Everyone seems to have much of the same thing - knock off purses, wood figures, bags, hats and more t shirts than you can shake a stick at. Everyone is also going to tell you they have a sale today. It's part of the fun - they like to haggle a bit and the 1st price they tell you will come down. I did purchase two wooden masks for 18.00 US. I probably could have gotten something at home a bit lower at the local hobby store, but I really liked the look of these and felt the price was reasonable. It was fun watching some of the locals make the straw bags and hats. Be forewarned that the Straw Market is under a tent with very little air circulation, if you plan on being in the area for a long time bring a bottle of water.
We headed back to the boat and had lunch at Windjammer Marketplace ( open 12n to 230p ). The lunch offerings were much of the same. After lunch we decided to head for the pool with our books and a bit of R & R. The pool area was about 1/2 full on the non-smoking side and less on the smoking side. We stayed there until it was time to get ready for dinner.
This evening was our one formal evening on the ship. On our way to dinner we saw that the ship's photographers had set up various backdrops and were taking formal pictures for anyone who wanted to have them done. We had a few done and made our way into the dining room.
Kim was there tonight waiting for us when we arrived at our table. Our new friends on their Honeymoon decided to stay in Nassau so it was just the four of us for dinner tonight - myself, my friend and the Mother/Daughter team. We shared what we had done for the day ( they had done the Atlantis excursion that included the water parks ) and had some wonderful conversation with each other.
I enjoyed tonight's meal much more than the night before. I opted for the Lobster Bisque ( one of the favorites ) and it did not disappoint! For my main course I choose the sliced beef tenderloin with a baked potato and for dessert I had a brownie like dish with ice cream. Very yummy!
From 730p to 830p we attended the Captain's Welcome Aboard Reception in the Chorus Line Theater on Deck 5. We could have had our picture taken with Captain Dustin, but opted out. The line was very long and we wanted to get a seat since there were a lot of people attending. There were several waiters and waitresses offering champagne or Bahama mama's. During the Captain's Reception the alcoholic drinks are complimentary. This is the only time on the ship that this occurs. Captain Dustin spoke a bit after his photo session and introduced key members of the crew.
Tonight's production was scheduled for 9p. The timing worked out well, as the Captain's Reception ended about 845p. We hung around the theater and moved seats to get a better vantage point of the stage. The name of the production was Signed, Sealed, Delivered and was a variety of music from the 50's, 60's and 70's. I found it very entertaining and enjoyed the music very much.
After the show we went for a nightcap at the Schooner's Bar which is also on Deck 5. Then it was off to bed and find out what our next day's adventures would be in the Day 3 Daily Planner....
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